Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I was wondering what kind of experiences people have with their mowers and any recommendations they might have. I have a little over an acre of lawn. it takes me about 2 hrs to mow with my 32" mid 80's Ariens. Ive been staring at the usual culprits, JD, Husky, Cub Cadet, Craftsman. Ive been eyeing a Craftsman YT4000, thats out for a great price right now. it has a vtwin briggs, 24hp, 42" cut for $1490. On sale for $500 off. I just dont have any experience with the latest craftsman mowers.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I have a two year old Craftsman YT something that has a 42" deck. I mow about 3/4 of an acre. I even bag it so that the kids don't track the clippings into the house. Cows love bagged grass clippings.

It has, and I like, the big 19HP single cylinder Briggs motor. You don't need 19 HP, and you especially dont' need 24 HP so you don't need to worry about the 24 being not enough. I do have a fully manual mower with a clutch so if you choose a hydrostatic trans then maybe that will suck more power?

I spend lots of time mowing. Too much really. The sub-1000$ mowers work fine. I don't think it really matters which brand you choose and I also have a suspicion that one company makes most of them.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

My father has a 12-year-old Craftsman, I have a 4-year-old Craftsman, and my buddy has a 3-year-old Craftsman, and they all run perfectly. Wouldn't hesitate in the least to buy another one. All are 19hp, 42".

Feeling the Heat2.

NULL

Don't want to be a downer, but I bought a Craftsmen 2 years ago this month and have had several problems with it. First, it started leaking oil not long after I got it. When the tech came out he found out the factory hadn't sealed it properly so oil was dripping out and burning up on the motor. The tech fixed it easy enough and that problem was solved.

Last year, the trans-axle went and that had to be replaced. They fixed it no charge, but the tech gave me a copy of the bill had it not been under warranty and it would have cost about $900 to fix it. I only paid $1100 for it. I want to extend the warranty, but they want around $450 for one year, so I don't think its worth it. I have actually thought about getting rid of it, but with the bagger, I have over $1400 invested and I know I would take a bath. I'm hoping that all my problems with this machine are behind me.

I do have to say that Sears service department has been wonderful. They fixed everything with no problems or hassles. They have been great to work with.

With all that being said, if I had to go out and buy a new riding mower today, I would probably go to a local, reputable, independent shop and buy a John Deere. By the way, this months issue of Consumer Reports rates riding mowers.

I forgot to mention, I have the 20 hp Briggs and Stratton with a 42" cut and hydrostatic drive.

I know my case may not be typical, but unfortunately I am now soured on the Craftsmen line of outdoor power equipment.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Find one made in the USA if you can. (just my opinion)
I have 48" JD, 2005. Been good so far. Took deck off cleaned & painted the underside last winter.
replaced a few bearings that sounded noisy.
Any of them take maintenance & some TLC to last, some just take more.

**Alaska's Nati'l Parks, Wildlife Refuges & Forests is more land than in WA, OR & OH combined *
BK Ultra

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

a word of caution. i have small engine shops up here that will not work on a craftsman anything. to much of a pia to get right. alot of the machines are built by the same company just slightly different specs. i bought a 4 year old murray wide body with a 42 inch deck. 8 years ago this month 16.5 horse briggs i/c motor. no trouble at all.

Mooderator2.

NULL

Staff Member

I'm running a similar Craftsman to Highbeam's but a few years older and with an 18hp Kohler engine. It has a pressurized oil feed and filter, which I'm hoping will extend it's lifetime. So far the mower has performed very well. I changed out the stock mower blade for a high lift blade from Sears. It works a lot better with the bagger. We use the clippings for mulch and compost.

PE Alderlea T6 - the gentle giant and a Jotul 602, the little stove that could“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.” - Mark Twain -
"A poor worker always blames his tools." - Dad

Guest2.

NULL

Huh? What kind of shop is that? Most of the Craftsman stuff has either a B&S or Kohler motor, 2 of the most common brands for small engines.

fbelec said:

a word of caution. i have small engine shops up here that will not work on a craftsman anything. to much of a pia to get right. alot of the machines are built by the same company just slightly different specs. i bought a 4 year old murray wide body with a 42 inch deck. 8 years ago this month 16.5 horse briggs i/c motor. no trouble at all.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I have the Ariens version. It has a rear-mounted gas tank, which has more capacity than the one in front of the driver, but might interfere with any fancy hitch plans you might have (it did me). I got wheel weights from Sears cause there's nothing from Ariens. There's a plus for Sears for the parts. My machine was made in the Carolinas, I think, by Husky.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I bought a cub- my model was one step up from the regular riding mower so that I could haul stuff around. I have had several problems with it- mostly electrical. If I could do it over I may have gone for a Deere.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

I bought a cub- my model was one step up from the regular riding mower so that I could haul stuff around. I have had several problems with it- mostly electrical. If I could do it over I may have gone for a Deere.

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+1 . . . no electrical issues with my Cub riding mower, but I had several mechanical issues that I had to deal with . . . which I may have expected with a cheap riding mower, but not with a Cub Cadet.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Generally, if you want to do more heavy stuff, like ground engaging stuff, you need a "garden tractor", as opposed to a riding mower.
If you could afford it, you'd have more future options.
I was cheap.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Many of the mowers I've seen mentioned here are built by MTD. I believe they make most of the mowers sold in the U.S.

I think when it comes down to it you need to look at how the chassis and mower deck are built instead of getting hung up on names. The engine is the other big issue. The old B&S twins were rock solid but I'm not sure about the new ones. I have one that's running strong after 25 years. I don't really know enough about currently available engines to recommend one but I can think of some other features that I find really important (listed below)

New Member2.

NULL

I have a Craftsman 19.5 hp B&S. I do the work on it and I hate the engineering. From the gas cap you can't set down because it will fall over to the star bolts to the PIA deck pins its just poorly designed for any kind of maintenance.

Minister of Fire2.

NULL

Huh? What kind of shop is that? Most of the Craftsman stuff has either a B&S or Kohler motor, 2 of the most common brands for small engines.

fbelec said:

a word of caution. i have small engine shops up here that will not work on a craftsman anything. to much of a pia to get right. alot of the machines are built by the same company just slightly different specs. i bought a 4 year old murray wide body with a 42 inch deck. 8 years ago this month 16.5 horse briggs i/c motor. no trouble at all.

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I think many shops have just chosen not to work on ANYTHING Craftsman or some of the other cheapo brands. It is just not worth their time - or the customers. The lawn tractor may be the exception but they keep the line drawn to an extent. Sure you can get belts or tires and that crap...